Thursday, January 8, 2009

Inside Snow Play

With more snow on its way, I wanted to share a fun activity my daughter and I have enjoyed since she was a wee babe...

Playing outside in the snow is ideal. However, there are those days when you may not have the time or energy for the big bundle-up. So, bring the snow INSIDE! Fill a large shallow container with snow, gather some cups and spoons; and allow your little one to scoop, fill, and dump. Babies will enjoy the simple activity of touching and squishing the snow. A great sensory experience for all ages, and a wonderful way to reinforce the concept of MELTING! Susan and Nile tried it, and give it their endorsement!

As an extension of this, bring in a fresh batch of snow and quickly form it into a mini snowman. Put the snowman in the freezer while you find fun things from inside to decorate him: scraps of felt or material to make a scarf, cut the toe part off of an old colorful sock for a hat, ball-up small pieces of aluminum foil for eyes, widdle a tiny piece of carrot for its nose. Place him outside on a windowsill or in a window box where it will be easy for you and your little one to view him from inside.

Then cuddle up and read a great snowman book such as Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner. What a magical, imaginary explanation for why snowmen look different the following morning! Be sure to check on your mini snowman daily to see how he has changed. Something about the small size and close proximity make for a much more intimate child/snowman relationship than the traditional version!

What would Henry ultimately do with the snow? After it was in the freezer, would he forget about it? Would you find yourself throwing out clumps of snow when clearing out long-forgotten frozen meat? :)